Interval Training: How Does it Burn Fat?
Interval Training: How Does it Burn Fat? (The Answer Totally Makes Sense)
Traditionally, we have been told by many so called experts that if we wanted to burn fat then we need to train in the “fat burning zone.” According to these experts, training in the fat burning zone is the only way to burn fat when you exercise. Well, they are right. If you want to burn fat during your workout, do some long boring cardio in the fat burning zone. But, if you want to triple the amount of fat that you burn, do interval training workouts. Some basic physiology tells us how interval training burns fat long after you finish your workout.
High intensity interval training exhausts your supply of immediate carbohydrates that are stored in the muscles. This supply is known as glycogen. The phosphocreatine system and the glycolytic system are dependent upon glycogen stored in the muscles and the liver.
Interval training demands energy so quickly that fat stores are not able to provide energy rapidly enough to keep up with demand. Interval training requires carbohydrate stores, glycogen to be specific, to supply the fast energy that is needed. During your recovery period and the hours after your workout when there is plenty of oxygen present and the demand for energy quickly has slowed down, your body utilizes your fat stores to convert that fat into glycogen for the next time you workout with a high intensity. This process of replacing the fast energy stores that you used up during your interval training workout may take hours to completely restore the glycogen stores.
So, the secret to burning fat is to not burn fat during your workout. Burn for hours afterwards by exhausting your glycogen stores.
interval trainingInterval Training More Effective Than Cardio?
Interval Training Workouts Prove to be More Effective Than Long Slow Cardio
by Aaron Ivey
When it comes to measuring athletic performance and endurance performance, the maximal rate of oxygen absorption into the muscles (VO2max) is the most recognized test. Greater VO2max usually means you are in greater cardiovascular condition. This can become an advantage in sports as well as in everyday life. You may not be competing against another team or opponent, you may be competing with your own body. So what is the best way to increase your VO2max? Researchers in Norway may have the answer.
They examined 4 different types of exercise protocols ranging from aerobic training to high intensity interval training. Each group trained for 8 weeks 3 times per week.
Group 1 trained for 45 minutes of running on the treadmill at 70% of their maximal heart rate.
Group 2 trained at lactate threshold (~85% of maximum heart rate) for 24.25 minutes.
Group 3 trained using intervals at 15 seconds of high intensity (90-95%) of heart rate maximum for 47 repetitions. The total time of the training for this group was the same as for group 2.
Group 4 trained using 4 sets of intervals for 4 minutes at 90-95% of heart rate maximum. This group rested for 3 minutes at 70% of heart rate maximum in between each repetition.
The Results:
The VO2max in groups 3 and 4 increased by 5.5% and 7.2% respectively. Groups 1 and 2 showed no significant improvement in VO2max. Another interesting finding was that the volume of blood that the heart pumped with each beat increased with groups 3 and 4.
So, there you have it! Research, again, suggests that interval training is more effective for improving aerobic endurance than traditional long slow steady cardio training.
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 39 no4 Ap 2007 pp 665-671If you are looking to achieve this level of success, get your instant download of Turbulence Training by following this link to the official Turbulence Training website.
Interval Training – Challenge Any of the 3 Energy Systems
Interval Training – Challenge Any of the 3 Energy Systems
At the root of all training routines is the need to make the body more efficient at producing energy for your given activity, whether that is a sport, general health or life. If you are not training specific to the energy requirements of your activity you may be wasting your time. This article will look at what those energy systems are and give a better idea of what you may need to do to challenge those energy systems.
All of the body’s energy requirements are supplied by a chemical called ATP. The breakdown of ATP produces an enormous amount of energy but the body can not store a large quantity of it. It must replace the ATP that is used in a fast and efficient manner. It does this in 3 major ways. Though protein can be used to produce energy, it eventually ends up in one of the 3 major pathways and will not be discussed.
1. Creatine phosphate system (PCr) – By far the fastest source of energy, the PCr system will only sustain energy requirements for a matter of seconds, not usually more that 10-15 seconds. Think of the tip of a match, it will only burn for a few seconds but is enough to start the next system. The PCr system is will suited for high intensity, short duration activities. It can operate independent of oxygen supply (anaerobic).
2. Glycolytic system – This system is somewhat like the kindling of a fire. The glycolytic system relies on carbohydrate breakdown to “rebuild” ATP. This carbohydrate is stored in the muscle and liver as glycogen. The breakdown of carbohydrate can sustain energy requirements for a much longer period of time than the PCr system, up to 2 minutes according to some sources, and can also function without oxygen (anaerobic).
Two end products are produced through the glycolytic process: pyruvate and lactate. The production of pyruvate is known as slow glycolysis and can be combined with oxygen to produce more ATP. The production of lactate is known as fast glycolysis and can later be converted to pyruvate.
3. Oxidative system – This may be compared to the oak log on the fire that can burn for a long period of time but takes some time to get started. The oxidative system can use pretty much any substrate (fat, carbohydrate, protein) to rebuild ATP molecules. It takes a much longer time but is very efficient. The processes involved in the production are very complicated and are outside of the scope of this article. However, this is the system that burns the fat that we want to get rid of.
Simply put, our energy systems are very similar to the building of a sustainable winter fire. First we need a fast source of energy to ignite (a match), and slightly longer source to continue the fire (the kindling) until the logs will burn and put out the heat (the log). To learn how to train these energy systems so that they will become more efficient go to training your energy systems.
Specific Formula to Charge Your Energy Systems
Specific Formula to Charge Your Energy Systems
In a previous article I outlined a basic model of how your body produces the ATP necessary to power your body. That’s all great in theory but how do you apply that to your interval training workout? Each sport or activity has different energy system requirements. How do you tweak your interval training workout to get the most out of the energy system that dominates your sport?
Though all of the energy systems mentioned are active at any given time, depending on the intensity of the activity, one system may be more active than the others. In this article I am going to give you a formula that you can use to specifically train the energy system that dominates the energy demands in your sport.
Training the Phosphocreatine (PCr) System
The PCr is most utilized during activities that require short bursts of high intensity. Some examples may include weightlifting, sprinting, baseball, football, etc. These sports require all out effort for less than 10-15 seconds.
When designing an interval training program consider the amount of time you will be exerting a maximal amount of effort and add about 5-10 seconds. That will become the time for your work phase. Now multiply that number by 3 to calculate the rest phase. This is known as a 1 to 3 work to rest ratio. So, if you are doing a work phase of 20 seconds, your rest phase will be 60 seconds.
Training the Glycolytic System
The glycolytic system is able to sustain high intensity activity for up to 3 minutes depending on the intensity of the activity. The greater the intensity, the shorter duration that glycolysis is able to sustain the activity. Sports that may rely most heavily on the glycolytic system include soccer, basketball and hockey. These sports require bursts of effort greater than 10 seconds with some limited rest in between intense bouts.
An interval training program should be designed according to the amount of time you will be performing at maximum intensity. Your work to rest ratio is going to be more like 1:2. For example, the work phase may be between 30 seconds to 90 seconds. The rest phase would be 2x that of the work phase. So, 30 seconds of high intensity work and 60 seconds of rest.
Training the Oxidative System
Though interval training challenges mostly the PCr and glycolytic systems, some research studies suggest that improving power output through interval training can improve endurance performance.
The oxidative system is the fat burning furnace of the body. It takes a longer time to produce the ATP necessary to fuel the body, however, it creates about 10x more ATP than PCr and glycolysis. That is why your body tries so hard to hang on to it. Sports that rely on the oxidative system most heavily are those that require a light to moderate intensity over a sustained period of time greater than 3 minutes.
To use interval training for your endurance sport use a 1:1 work to rest ratio. Your intensity should be greater than what you would normally compete at. A good example of traditional interval training protocols for endurance sports is Fartlek training. For example, sprint for 3-6 minutes and then slow down to a jog for the same amount of time. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Regardless of what sport or activity you participate in, you can design an interval training program that will supercharge the energy system that your body relies most heavily on. It is important to vary your program every 3-4 weeks so that your body is constantly challenged. Most importantly, have fun with it. Interval training provides so many different options that you should never get bored.
‘No Time To Exercise’ Is No Excuse
A study, published in The Journal of Physiology, shows that short bursts of very intense exercise — equivalent to only a few minutes per day — can produce the same results as traditional endurance training.
The Study:
Subjects: 16 college-aged students
Protocols:
- Interval training group: 4-6 sets of 30 second “all out” bouts with 4 minutes recovery for 2 weeks.
Total training time = 2.5 hours
- Moderate-intensity group: 90-120 minutes of continuous cycling for 2 weeks.
Total training time = 10.5 hours
The Results:
Similar improvements were demonstrated in both groups for exercise performance and muscle characteristics associated with resistance to fatigue.
“The most striking finding from our study was the remarkably similar improvements in muscle health and performance induced by two such diverse training strategies,” says Martin Gibala, an associate professor of kinesiology at McMaster University.
“Our study demonstrates that interval-based exercise is a very time-efficient training strategy,” said Gibala. “This type of training is very demanding and requires a high level of motivation. However, short bursts of intense exercise may be an effective option for individuals who cite ‘lack of time’ as a major impediment to fitness.”
Blackwell Publishing Ltd. (2006, September 18). ‘No Time To Exercise’ Is No Excuse. ScienceDaily. Retrieved November 12, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2006/09/060918142456.htm
Want to know how to implement an interval training program. My friend Craig Ballantyne is offering a discounted trial period for those who want to fire up their training program. Check it out at Turbulence Training.
Which Turbulence Training Workout Should I Use?
Which Turbulence Training Workout Should I Use?
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
With Turbulence Training for Fat Loss, there are a lot of workouts to choose from.
So why did I create so many fat burning programs?
Because you need to have variety in your workouts to keep on
boosting your metabolism, and burning fat month after month.
If you did the same workout program for 3 months straight, your results would screech to a halt after 5 or 6 weeks.
With the Turbulence Training fat loss program, you will be able to change your workouts every 4 weeks. Each time you do that, you’ll kickstart your fat burning and your metabolism to a new level.
You must change your workout every 3-4 weeks.
Unfortunately, with so many Turbulence Training workouts, people often ask, “Which program should I start with?”. So here are the fat burning guidelines you need to get the most out of
Turbulence Training no matter what your fitness level…
1) The Best Program for a Total BEGINNER
Overweight, sedentary beginners should start with the Introductory Program in the main Turbulence Training for Fat Loss manual.
If you haven’t been doing any exercise, you must start there. No
exceptions.
The bodyweight exercises will prepare your muscles for all future workouts, and will prevent the overuse injuries people usually get when they start a high-volume cardio program (which is the worst thing an overweight person can do for weight loss).
2) The Best Program for an Experienced Lifter Who Has NOT Exercised in the Last 4 Weeks
Please start with the Intermediate Workout from the main Turbulence Training for Fat Loss program.
BUT NOTE: Do only ONE SET per exercise in each workout in the first week.
This will prevent you from being excessively sore from the
exercises, which can occur when you have been away from exercise for so long.
3) The Best Program For ADVANCED Fitness & Fat Loss
I suggest you start with the “Original Turbulence Training
Workout” from the main Turbulence Training for Fat Loss manual.
Work your way through each following three advanced workouts in the manual.
Upon completion of the Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts from the main manual, you can move onto the bonus workouts in this order:
A) If you are a women that wants to put the final touches on
a female physique, use the Turbulence Training for Women
workout.
B) If you are a man that wants to build muscle, use the TT
for Muscle program.
C) If you want to keep burning fat, move to the DB-BW Fusion
Workout.
D) Follow that with the 30-Day Advanced Fat Loss program.
E) And finally, finish with the Advanced Fusion Fat Loss
4-Week Program.
At any time you are traveling or want a break from the dumbell
workouts, you can use the beginner, intermediate, or advanced
bodyweight program from the Original Bodyweight 4-Week TT workout.
Sincerely,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
TT Bodyweight 1000 Workout
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
The Cardio Machine That Sucks
The Cardio Machine that Sucks
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com
Recently, I was in Tampa, Florida, at a seminar. Between sessions, a physician from Georgia stopped me in the hall and said, “Hey Craig, you were right about those crosstrainer machines. I’ve had your program for a few months now and I’m getting better results with the bodyweight circuits.”
It’s always great to meet clients, and I was curious to find out how he heard of me. Turns out, he found me through Google, landing on an article I wrote about “how elliptical machines (crosstrainers) suck for fat loss”.
That’s right, I think those machines are almost a complete waste of time.
“I was using one of those machines for a long time and was wondering why I wasn’t getting any results,” the physician continued, “I’m so glad I found your program and now I’m using the bodyweight circuits from the Dumbell-Bodyweight Fusion Workout”, he added.
I told him how I wasn’t surprised. In fact, I’ve never personally known anyone to get great results with one of those crosstrainer machines. Now I’ve watched really lean people use them, but they didn’t get lean with those machines.
I know some people will be angry with what I have to say because they like exercising on the crosstrainer, but the truth is that they just don’t work as well as harder forms of interval training.
And hey, any time you are traveling or want a break from regular interval training workouts, you can use one of the 4 bodyweight circuits from the TT DB-BW Fusion Fat Loss program that you get as a bonus when you order the Turbulence Training fat burning workout routine.
Order Turbulence Training
Let me know how it goes for you,
Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, Turbulence Training
About the Author
Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, Muscle and Fitness Hers, and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training fat loss workouts have been featured multiple times in Men’s Fitness and Maximum Fitness magazines, and have helped thousands of men and women around the world lose fat, gain muscle, and get lean in less than 45 minutes three times per week. For more information on the Turbulence Training workouts that will help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment, visit www.TurbulenceTraining.com
30 Second Sprints As Effective as 60 Minute Run
Just six minutes of intense exercise a week could be as effective as an hour of daily moderate activity suggests new findings from researchers at McMaster University.
“Short bouts of very intense exercise improved muscle health and performance comparable to several weeks of traditional endurance training,” says Martin Gibala, an associate professor in the department of kinesiology of McMaster.
The research, which is published in the June edition of the Journal of Applied Physiology, found that performing repeated bouts of high-intensity “sprint”-type exercise resulted in profound changes in skeletal muscle and endurance capacity, similar to training that requires hours of exercise each week.
The Study
16 Subjects: 8 doing intervals, 3 no exercise
Training protocol: 30 seconds work to 4 minutes rest ratio for 4-7 sets “all out.”
Frequency: 3x per week for 4 weeks
Findings for interval training group:
- Endurance capacity nearly doubled
- Increased enzyme (citrate sythase) activity. This enzyme indicates the muscle’s ability to utilize oxygen
The researchers suggested that implementation of an interval training program may offer a time saving alternative to individuals with a time crunch. “This type of training is very demanding and requires a high level of motivation, however, less frequent, higher intensity exercise can indeed lead to improvements in health and fitness.”
Want to know how to implement an interval training program? My friend Craig Ballantyne is offering a discounted trial period for those who want to fire up their training program. Check it out at Turbulence Training.
The Top 5 Treadmill Workout Plans Using Interval Training
The Top 5 Treadmill Workout Plans Using Interval Training
It’s real easy to find a lot of treadmill workout plans. However, which of them are effective. Nobody likes to spend an hour and the gym doing long, slow, boring cardio workouts only to find out that what they were doing wasn’t effective enough to help them reach their goals. I’m going to give you 5 treadmill workout plans that you can modify in many different ways using interval training methods.
Interval training on the treadmill is not the easiest way to workout. You have to wait for the belt to catch up or slow down and if you are using an incline it may take a few seconds for it reach the level you need. But, let’s face it, sometimes the treadmill is the only available option. Personally, I prefer either sprinting outside on a track or a stationary bike (spin style).
1. Adjust the incline – This is the best option for someone who is just starting out with an exercise program. Start out walking at zero incline and at a comfortable pace that you will be able to maintain even if you are exhausted. Use this speed for the duration of the interval training workout. After a warm up of 3 – 5 minutes raise the incline to a level that will make you work hard for 30 seconds. After the 30 seconds, lower the incline back to zero. Repeat the cycle up to 10 times and follow with a 3 minute cool down. You’ve now just completed a workout in just less than 20 minutes.
2. Go for speed – Following the same principle as with the incline, adjust the speed instead. Remember, the treadmill will take a few seconds to get to the speed you want. The speed to use during your work phase should be very challenging.
3. Modified Tabata – Tabata interval protocol is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest repeated 8 times. This will give you a 4 minute workout that you will never forget. However, I suggest that if you attempt this on the treadmill you should account for the transition time that the belt needs to slow down and speed up. So, you may consider using a 25 second work to 15 second cycle.
4. Rest to Work ratio – The rest to work ration is the amount of time you spend at low intensity (rest) to the amount of time you spend at high intensity (work). It is often expressed like this: 1:1, 2:1, or 3:1. For example, if you are using a 3:1 ratio you may spend 90 seconds resting to 30 seconds working. Changing the ratio will stress different energy systems. This is partly why interval training can be used for so many different sports – it can be modified to be sport specific training.
5. Backwards – You will certainly get lots of looks with this one. Walk on the treadmill backwards. I suggest using the incline to make your work portion more challenging. One caution you will need to remember: you will have to turn around a little to change the incline so be careful. This may be better to use with the pre-programmed interval workouts.
So there you have it! The top 5 treadmill workout plans using interval training methods. Use the principles in each of the modifications to add variety to your interval training program. With a little creativity you can create a nearly endless number of programs for your treadmill workouts.
6 Ways to Fire Up Your Interval Training Workout
6 Ways to Fire Up Your Interval Training Workout
Coaches and athletes using interval training are always looking for ways to improve their workout and make them more effective. I have included 7 different different ways to tweak your interval training workout. These tweaks will challenge your body and keep it guessing. These changes are the key elements to breaking through plateaus and stagnant periods as you work toward your goals.
When considering changes in these factors, consider the metabolic demands that are your are placing on your body and use the variables to challenge those demands based on the energy systems that are being utilized in your sport or event. A basketball player will need to train a different energy system than a golfer or a baseball player.
1. The number of reps you perform – Adding an additional repetition or two to your workout will increase the intensity of your overall workout. And, isn’t that what makes interval training so effective?
2. Distance you cover- If you are using sprints as your primary interval training method, then consider changing the distance. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to run further. Sometimes, it may be best to actually run a shorter distance. The shorter distance will mean that you can increase the intensity of your workout.
3. Assigned work interval time – The time it takes for you to complete a repetition of your work interval will vary, depending on the distance you are going to cover and your ability. You may consider either lowering your work interval to increase the intensity or you can increase the work interval time if you are training for a longer distance event. Remember, the shorter the work interval time the higher intensity you can put out.
4. Rest interval – This is the period of time you give yourself to “rest” in between work interval bouts. Some of this may depend on what the goals of your training are. Generally, you should adapt the rest interval to most closely match that of your event or sport. If you are not training for a specific event or sport then you will have more latitude with this variable. Lowering the time of the rest interval will create a new challenge because you may not have completely recovered from the previous work interval.
5. Rest to work ratio – This is the ratio of the amount of time “resting” versus the amount of time “working.” Shorter work intervals may require a longer rest interval because they will be very intense. Remember, the higher the intensity of the work interval the shorter amount of time you will be able to sustain the intensity. In the beginning of an interval training training period you may elect to use a ration of 4:1 and gradually taper down to a 3:1 or even a 2:1 rest to work ratio. Remember to consider the energy systems at work in your sport.
6. Workout frequency – Because of the high intense nature of interval training workouts, it is advisableto give yourself plenty of time for recovery. In the beginning phases of your interval training program, the recommended frequency of workouts should not exceed 2x per week. As you progress in your program you can increase to no more than 3x per week. You should also avoid scheduling your interval training workouts on consecutive days. Interval training takes a lot out of your body. It needs time to recover.
In summary, if you are a coach, personal trainer, or athlete that needs to take your workout to the next level, here are 6 different ways to tweak your interval training workout to push yourself or your client past the plateau they may be experiencing.
Why You Should Try Interval Training
Why You Should Try Interval Training
For the longest time, most of us thought that the only way to burn fat and calories was to trudge through long, steady workouts, watching the minutes tick past at a glacial pace. While there’s no doubt that those slow, steady workouts have a place in any routine, particularly for building endurance, there’s another type of training that offers different types of benefits: interval training. This type of training, which involves alternating high intensity exercise with rest periods, makes workouts more fun and it can also:
* Enhance athletic performance
* Boost your cardio fitness
* Accelerate weight loss
* Improve your body’s ability to burn fat
* Make your workouts more time efficient
The reason they work so well is that, first, the more you shake up your body during the workout, the more energy your body expends getting your body back to normal after the workout. Second, interval training works regardless of fitness level and, by increasing your intensity for short periods of time, you teach your body how to work harder without killing yourself.
Make Your Own Interval Workouts
You can make your own interval workout by alternating high intensity activities (think sprinting, jump roping, power jumps, jumping jacks or anything that challenges your heart rate) for a period of time with low intensity moves (walking, marching in place, etc.). The general recommendation is to work at maximal effort for 1-4 minutes (long enough to become breathless) and recover for 5-10 minutes.
But, there are other ways to create an interval workout. You can make your intervals anaerobic, meaning you push as hard as you can, or you can keep the intervals aerobic, meaning you stay within about 75-85% of your maximum heart rate.
By Paige Waehner, About.com Guide to Exercise since 2000
